High-density attachment for compresses for cotton bales



Auig. 7,1928.

G. W; LANGFORD ET-AL HIGH DENSITY ATTACHMENT FOR COMPRESSES FOR COTTON BALES Filed Sept. 14, 1925 gray r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gear szwfirt WWW Aug. 7, 1928; 7 1,679,979 G. w. LANGFORD ET AL HIGH DENSITY nflcn'mw FOR 'co'MPREssEs Fon co'r'ron BALEs" Filedwsept. 14. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 7, 1928 GEORGE w. LANGnoRnnLnoRn c. Ba'RRows, we

MICHIGAN, AssIGNons T ECONOMY BALER COMIPANY, or ANN A CORPORATION 01* MICHIGAN.

on, or we Anson, ARBOR, MICHIGAN,

HIGH-DENSITY ATTACHMENT FOR GOMPRESSES FOR COTTON BALES.

Application filed September 14, 1925, Serial No. 56,327.

The invention relates to high density at* tachments for compresses for cotton bales and has for one of its objects the provision of a mechanically driven high density attachment, including a side platen and me chanical driving means for quickly moving said side platen to operative position. Another object is to provide a simple construction of mechanical driving means, including a revoluble member and toggle levers connected to the side platen and actuated by the revoluble member. A further objectoi' the invention is to provide a pivotal floor section for normally covering the gap between the fixed floor section and the compress when the side platen is in the lowered or inoperative position, this pivotal floor section andthe side platen being arranged relative to each other so that the 20 side platen engages the pivotal'floor section and moves the same upwardly and away from the compress, thereby avoiding the lia bility of throwing a person upon the pivotal floor section intothe compress. With these as well as other objects in view the invention resides in the novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts asmore fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings .Figure 1 is a side elevation of a compress for cotton bales having applied thereto a high density attachment embodyingmy invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a similar view of a modified construction of high density attachment.

The compress for cotton bales has the vertical frame 1, which extends below the floor level into the pit 2. 3 is the upper platen which is stationary and fixedly secured to the frame 1 and i the lower platen which is vertically reciprocablefrom: a position slightly below the floor level to a position near the upper platen. This lower platen is fixedlysecured upon the saddle 5, which'is guided by the frame 1 and is vertically reciprocated by suitable means in cluding the toggle levers 6 connected at their lower ends to the opposite ends otlithe saddle and at their upper ends to the frame, these toggle levers being actuated by means of the links 7, which are connected to the'gears 8 journaled on the frame The gears for actuating the toggle levers at one end of the compress rotate in the opposite direction and at the same rate of speed as the gears for actuating the toggle levers at the other end of the compress. irom a su1tab1e prime by means of the reduct The.

se gears are driven mover (not shown) 1011 gear-111g 9.

mechanical. driving me ans. The side plat ens and mechanical drivmg means for these side platens are alike and therefore the side platen .and its mechanical driving means at one s de oi: the compress only will be described in detail. 10 is plvotally mounted As shown, the side platen upon the frame 1 of the compress at a point substantially below the floor level, there bei which connects the side This side platen is ng the fixed pivot 11 platen to the :lrame.

adapted to be swung upwardly and inwardly relative to the com pressi'rom an inoperatlve position Where it lies substantially below operative vertical.

compress to, form sid chamber. To swing t the floor level to an position at the side of the e wall of the baling. his side platen upwardly and inwardly to operative position at a sufficient rate cotton bale above of speed to compress the the lower platen 4 prior to the time that compression of the bale takes place between the upper and lower platens of the compress to form a simple constidriving means ably provide and the bull glc lovers.

the pair and at the same time action of mechanical for the side platen, we preferof toggle levers 1?.

gear 13 for actuating these tog- The toggle levers comprise the lever 14; which is pivotally connected at 15 to the side platen near its free end and the lever 16 which is pivotally connected at one end by means of the pivot 17 to the free end of the lever 14, and w hich is connected at its opposite end to the fixed pivot 18. 19 is a link pivotally connec ted at 20 to the bull gear 13 andpivotally connected to the toggle levers by the pivots being such that upon gear in the direction in in Figure 2, the link 19 the togglelevers 12 w 17, the arrangement rotation of the bull dicated by the arrow exerts a force upon hich straightens the same, thereby swinging the side platen 1O upwardly and inwardly relative to the C0111- press to its operative or vertical position. The downward swinging of the side platen is limited by means of a suitable stop 21 engageable with the lower side of the side platen;

.The hull gear 13 for actuating one of the side platens'meshes with the bull gear for actuating the other of the side platens to thereby rotate the latter 'bull gear in the proper direction to straighten the toggle lovers to which it is connected. For driving this bull gear there is the driving pinion 22, which'meshes with'one of the bull gears and is rotatedby a suitable prime mover (not shown). I

\Vith the arrangement as thus far set forth it will be seenthat the side platens are equally 1 and simultaneously moved from their inoperative to their operative positions and furthermore that the time interval required between these movements is relativel y short so that they will be in operative position. prior to the time of compression of the cotton bale between'the upper and lower platens of the compress. It is also to be noted that at the time when the greatest stress is being applied tending to swing the side platens downwardly, the toggle levers are straight or substantially so and oppose an eflective resistance to the downward swinging of the side platens.

For covering the gap between the compress and the stationary floor 23 when the side platens are in their lowermost or inoperative positions so that the cotton bale which has been compressed in thelcompress may be readily removed and replaced by another cotton bale I have provided at each side of the compress the pivotal floor section 2a,

which is pivoted at 25 nearthe stationary floor and has afree'end-extending adjacent V to the'compress and over the side platen and its actuating mechanism. For swinging the pivotal floor sections .we have provided means upon the side platens for engaging these pivotal floor sections. Furthermore we have provided means upon these side platens for bridging the gap between the main portions of theside platens and the pivotal floor sections when the latter are swung upwardly.' 'As shown the pivotal floor sections have their free ends resting upon these. side platens and the side platens are further provided: with the transverse curved horns 26 at their free ends, which are engageable by the free ends 'ofthe pivotal floor sections while the latter are in their upwardly swung positions. Thus it will. be seen that the side platens swing the. pivotal floor sections upwardly and away from the compress to avoid throwing a' person into the compress and 1 further thatthe gaps between the free ends of the pivotal floor sections. and the main '33 intermediate its ends.

Figure 3 the compress and the high density attachment therefor has the same general arrangement of parts with the exception that the link 27 which pivotally connects the bull gear 28 to the toggle levers 25 is pivoted at 3-) to the free end of the rock lever 31., which forms with the lever 32 the toggle levers. This rock lever has the fixed pivot Vith this arrangement the link 27 is under tension instead o'l under compression, while the side platen is being swung upwardly and inwardly relative to the compress to operative or vertical position.

Vhat we claim as our invention is:

1;- The combination with a COlliPltSs for cotton bales, of a high density attaclnnent, including a side platen and means ior actuating the same, including toggle levers connected. to said side platen, a revoluble 1110111" her and a link between said revoluble memher and to le levers for actuating the latat; ter from the. former.

2. The combination with a. compress for cotton bales, of a high density attaclnncnt, including a pivotal side platen and means for swinging the same to operative and inoperative positions, including toggle levers comprising alever having a lixcd pivot and a lever 1 ivotally connected to said iirst mentioned lever and side platen, a revoluble member and a link pivotally connected to said revoluble member and toggle lovers.

3. The combination with a compress {or cotton bales of a high density attachment, includingcorresponding pivotal side platens at opposite sides of said compress and corresponding means for swinging said side platens to operative and inoperative positions, including toggle levers correspondingly connected to said side platens and rcvoluble gears connected to said toggle levers, said gears meshing with each other below said side platens.

at. The combination with a compress for cotton bales, of a high density attachment, including an upwardly movable side platen and a pivotal floor section engageable by said side platen and movable upwardly thereby upon upward movement thereof.

5. The combinationwith a compress for cotton bales, of a high density attaclnnent, including'a side platen pivoted at its lower end, means for swinging said side platen to operative and inoperative positions and a pivotal floor section engageable by said side platen and swung upwardly and away from said compres by said side platen during its movement to operative position.

6. The combination with a compress for cotton bales having a vertically reciprocable Ion lower platen and a stationary floor substantially level with said lower platen when in its lowermost position, of a high density attachment for said compress, including a side platen pivoted at its lower end, and means for swinging said side platen from a position at the side of said compress and substantially below the stationary floor level to a vertical position at the side of said compress, a pivotal floor section extending from said floor to a point adjacent to said eompress and over said side platen when substantially below the floor level, and means upon said side platen engageable with said pivotal floor section for swinging the same upwardly and outwardly away from said compress during the movement of said side platen to its vertical position.

7. The combination with a compress for cotton bales, of a high density attachment including a side platen and means for actuating the same including toggle levers con nected to said side platen and movable from operative to inoperative positions, a revoluble member, and a link pivotally connected. to said revoluble member and toggle levers, the plane extending through the axes of the link pivots extending adjacent to the axis of said revoluble member when the toggle levers are in operative position to facilitate moving the toggle levers to operative position and also facilitate holding the toggle levers in this position.

8. The combination with a compress for cotton bales, of a high density attachment, including a side platen pivoted at its lower end, means for swinging said side platen to operative and inoperative positions, a

pivotal floor section resting upon said side platen and substantially concealing the same, said floor section adapted to be swung upwardly and away from said compress by said side platen during its movement to operative position, and a projection upon said side platen engageable with the floor section when the platen is in operative posi tion to hold the floor section in its upward position.

9. The combination with a compress for cotton bales, of a high density attachment including a side platen and means for actuating the same including toggle levers connected to said side platen and movable from operative to inoperative positions, a revoluble member, and means for actuating said side platen from said revoluble member including a link having pivotal connections at its opposite ends with one of the pivotal connections securing said link to said revoluble member, the plane extending through the axes of the pivotal connections extending adjacent to the axis of said revoluble member when the toggle levers are in operative posi tion to facilitate moving the toggle levers to operative position and also facilitate holding the toggle levers in this position.

In testimony whereof we affix our Slgllib tures.

GEORGE l V. LANGFORD. ALFORD C. BARROVVS. CHARLES W. GOOD. 

